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5 Reasons You Don't Need a Date at the Company Holiday Party

While some companies are scaling back this year, it's possible yours is throwing the same annual holiday bash it always does. Maybe you’re already having visions of wearing a fancy frock, eating free steak au poivre, and waltzing around the dance floor. All you need is a date, right? Wrong! There’s enough stress this time of year—don’t add to the pressure by worrying about being single during the holidays. Here are 5 reasons it’s cool to stag it to the office party:

1. While your colleagues are busy clinging to their spouses or babysitting their inappropriate guests, you can suck up (subtly) to your superiors. Heck, flirt a little. Studies show that displaying your feminine side at work will help you climb the corporate ladder.

2. Be your own publicist. Your boss may not know you exist, but her husband might notice how you discuss China’s monetary policy at the table. You'll have one more person on your side (who your boss respects).

3. Wear your single status for all to see. People don’t think about your status as much as you do. So going solo to a party is a great advertisement or reminder to them. You never know which colleague will prove to be a talented matchmaker or just a fantastic source for guys. 4. You might discover that that “taken” guy from legal will suddenly be single. Hey, a disproportionately high number of break-ups happen in the two weeks before Christmas.

Uh-oh! Don't take that guy from legal back to your cubicle, though. Keep it real, keep it professional.

5. It's easier to be on your best behavior. If you bring a guest, he probably doesn’t work in your office—so he won't understand your company’s culture or care about office politics. Who knows how much he'll drink or what he'll do—or influence you to do. Bottom line: if you're dateless, you won’t have to worry about drunken make-outs with your date in front of the CEO. (You are still at work!)

Is your company throwing a holiday party this year? Will it be a big shindig or a small soiree? Will you bring a date?